Who Knew?
by gummie-bare
Summary: Betty/Daniel. A twisted turn of events which Betty has witnessed, sets out to help Daniel and his doomed family. The bond of friendship is much stronger with those you feel connected with. Will she end up with Daniel, or will she - yet again - miss out?


_**Over all Story:**_ A Betty/Daniel fic. A rather twisted turn of events which Betty is witness too, she knows of something incredibly important and sets out to help Daniel and his doomed family, meanwhile, having her own dramas at home doesn't help the situation. Find out how she overcomes these terrible events, and eventually scores the man most unlikely to be hers.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own the Ugly Betty Characters. However the main story line is of my own assumptions and creativity.

Please read and review... this is my first fic on TV - and it's been some time since I've written fic, OH and please excuse the terrible spelling!! Thanks!

**_Chapter One: We're all screw ups!_**

"JUSTIN! COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"NO!"

"JUSTIN, don't MAKE me come in there!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"JUSTIN!"

The humble household of the Suarez.Loud it was, humble it wasn't. Bashing on the door, Betty could just murder her nephew. Gritting her teeth, she pounded the door with a closed fist, "JUSIN! You've got one minute before I'm busting in there!" Betty called on the other side of the closed door. "No, you won't!!" Justin retaliated, his back against the door to stop her actually busting in, as she said she would. Sure, his muffled voice muted by the thick timber door and hid any sort of secret from his family, but Betty knew what he was doing in there, crying, stuffing himself with his grandfather's cupcakes, no doubt. Huffing, Betty turned her back against the door and rested her head pondering all the possibilities to get into the boys room.

"Fine, you can starve in there!" she called out, pounding the door one last time before storming off down the stairs and into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner for everyone. He wasn't going to starve, not when he had taken the tin of chocolate coated cupcakes from the kitchen cupboard. She was pretty sure he had ice cream in there too, but a threat was a threat and she had to pull through with everything she said. There was no time for backing down! Her father, as sweet as he was, had been sitting in the kitchen, listening to the ruckus echoing throughout the house as Betty desperately tried to fight with her nephew.

"Well?" he asked raising his eyebrows in curiosity, "I take it he's not coming down for dinner?"

Rolling her eyes and folding her arms in frustration, Betty flopped herself down in the chair opposite end of the table to where her father had been mixing cake batter. "I can't get through to him; he just will not come out of there." She said with finality in her voice. If there was anything she could do to help her nephew, she would have figured it out by now. "Betty, yelling at him won't solve the problem," he replied with a whimsical smirk on his face, clearly amused with his daughter's antics.

"Oh, I know that…" she almost spat back, restricting herself as it was her father she was talking to. If it had been her sister, that might have been an entirely different story. "Frankly, if Hilda can't get him out of that room, I don't know what we're going to do!" she said shifting in her seat, leaning forward on the table looking helplessly at her father. There was nothing he could do, other than shake his head as he finished mixing the batter for the cupcakes he had to remake.

"He'll calm down eventually," he replied, standing up from his seat and picking up the pre-oiled cupcake baking tray. "Besides, he needs us around. Justin is more of a people person, than one to be alone."

"I know that, but still… doesn't it worry you, that he's been in there all weekend?" Betty defended. Shaking her head, she got to her feet and stirred the stew on the stove. "I think he's worried what Hilda is going to think… we all know how excited she was for him, I mean, she's already started making his costume!" Betty added casually, pointing over to the lounge room where a tatty pink, yellow and orange suit laid unstitched. "…which she kindly left for me to finish," Ignacio replied looking over his glasses at the monstrosity of a suit.

"What will I think?" Hilda asked, tilting her head to the side, a perplexed expression on her face as she dumped her handbag at the doorway of the kitchen. Hilda was always renown for her impeccable timing, to which Betty turned around and smiled widely.

"Oh, nothing!"

"Betty?" Hilda frowned, walking into the kitchen to peek into the stew on the stove, and potter about the kitchen. Both her father and Hilda expected an answer, to which Betty drew a deep breath and threw her hands up in frustration.

"Justin, well, he lost the role." She said lowering her head. Flopping herself down at the table again, she watched as her father and Hilda cooked. Almost half expecting Hilda to turn around and be so upset about it, after how excited she was for her son to be in the leading role at the community college, "Hilda, are you alright?" Betty asked. The silence in the room was almost defining as neither her father or her sister had really turned around to participate in the conversation. "Yes, yes," Hilda muttered, tasking the stew and adding salt and whatever other spice she thought might add to the flavorless stew.

"Well?" Betty waited, her eyes wide waiting for an answer or some reaction from her sister.

"Well, what?" Hilda replied, turning around. "Aren't… aren't you upset?" Betty was slightly confused with his situation. "It was obvious he wasn't going to get it!" Hilda answered, her head leaning to the side, "You take one look at that boy and you know that the audience will judge him!"

"Hilda… you-"

"No, Betty…" she interrupted, her arms crossing her chest, "I was excited for him, yes. But, I wasn't about to throw him the party for an audition. It was only a matter of time for the stupid play to reject him, over and over again. So, no Betty, I'm not upset. It was bound to happen. I've learned a long time ago, not to get my hopes up." Her voice was so domineering. Although the family loved each other to no end, the firm voice of the older sister made Betty close her mouth and wait for dinner. No discussion, to retaliation. It was hard to see her only nephew so cut up about the play. He had auditioned for 3 in the last two months and all three of the directors told him that he wasn't talented or relatable to work with. It crushed Betty more knowing that his fifteen year old dreams were crumbling down around him. Perhaps he thought he had no support from his family, although Betty would go to extreme lengths and measures to give him all his dreams. Or at least, she thought she could. She could take the opportunity while it arose. Her father had turned his back on Berry, pouring his mixture into the cupcake tin. Hilda was too busy searching the fridge for something else to put into the stew, and Betty saw the opening to sneak out of the kitchen and get Justin to get out his room once and for all.

Taking one long lasting look back at the kitchen, Betty quietly opened the front door and closed it just as quietly behind her, leaving undetected from her sister and father was just the thing she needed for a clean break. If Justin wasn't going to come out, then she was going to get in there, and she only had one other option. Sneaking around to the side of the house she looked up at Justin's window, the light was on. Although it was dark out, she was quite prepared to do the unthinkable. Gripping the piping, Betty began to climb her two story house. Even as she told herself not to look down, he tried desperately not to do so, until she reached Justin's window. Bashing against the glass, she hung on tight for Justin to walk over and open it. Then, she'd be able to climb herself into his room and then give him what for. Hanging on by her fingernails it felt like years before Justin even walked to his window, and upon seeing something out of the ordinary quickly opened the window to help his aunt inside his room.

Clearly he was still mad at the world, but the look of shock and amusement showed more than any words could explain. "Auntie Betty, what on earth?" Justin asked with his mouth open in a horrified smile. Whatever he was brooding over, was no longer. Stage one of the infiltration complete. Now for stage two.

"You wouldn't come out, so I had to come in!" Betty replied in her defense, closing the window behind her. At least in his room they could talk without Hilda or Ignacio interrupting. "I don't understand, why did you lock yourself in here?" she asked wanting to get right to the point of the sullen boys' attitude. Justin rolled his eyes and turned himself around, flopping face first into his bed. Many many things which he didn't want to reveal to his mother, and knowing that Betty was always going to be there to listen to him, Justin never had any qualms with talking with her. But as she stood there with her hands folded across her chest, what else was he going to say to her. She climbed the side of the house to find out what was wrong with him – was there anything she wouldn't do for him?

As she stood there waiting, Justin drew a deep breath and rolled over onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow. "I didn't want to show my face," he replied vaguely, to which Betty raised her eye brow and waited for the real response. They were close, closer than he ever was with his mother. There were so many things he could say to her and she'd never judge him.

"Alright," he sighed and rolled his eyes again, "I'm just… really annoyed that I try so hard, I practice all the time, and I'm improving… and yet, I still don't get anywhere! I'm not a bad guy? I don't see why I was rejected, yet again!" He was frustrated, Betty could see that. Her arms dropped by her side as she could see the disappointment in his own face than in the words he spoke. She hated that he had almost given up hope on himself, Justin was capable of so much and yet everyone else couldn't see what an asset he really was. Sitting down on his bed, Betty thought about what to say to him. She had already been through all the 'it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks', or the 'you just do what you think is right', even the 'your time will come'. But this time, what other inspirational advice could she give her nephew?

"You know that I've always tried to help you, Justin," she began turning her head slowly around to the side to look at him, "… and give you some sort of pep talk, and I'm sure you've outgrown them, but still… I feel it's my auntily-duty to do so," she began beating around the bush to get to her point, still trying to mull it over in her mind so the outcome would help him in some way. "Hilda would disagree with me in saying this, but I really do think that they're not ready for you. You're not like other drama boys out there."

Ok, so she really was going back to one of her more inspirational 'you're so much better than that theater company' spiel. Justin was patient with her, as he always was. However, the dull expression on his face hid his wandering mind as she was speaking. Turning his body around, he tucked his legs in underneath him and sat listening to his aunt.

"Betty, please… I've heard it all before," Justin interrupted before she was able to continue. More merely for the fact that he had heard it all before, and didn't particularly feel it necessary to hear it again, he was feeling bad enough as it was for not getting the lead role which he was a shoe in for. It was an external theater company holding auditions which Justin had taken it upon himself to try out for. The school didn't want him participating in the drama classes anymore, said he causes too much 'drama'. Kind of rich coming from a class with the same name! "I've been to more than two auditions around this neighborhood, and they all say the same! No matter how passionate I am about it all, I'm just not good enough. I feel like a bloody screw up!"

Nodding her head, Betty licked her lips, "I know, but this was getting somewhere…" Betty readied her mind again, after loosing her train of thought. Curse her lack of motivation in her own life to get out there as much as Justin did. Mode was busy enough without any extra curricular activities, not that she was very good at many things. Music wasn't really her forte, triangle out of time? Yeah, real motivating.

"We're all screw ups Justin," she continued shifting herself around to face him, "I mean, look at our family… Hilda continues getting fired from every job she applies for… me, I can't tell if I'm coming or going when it comes to Mode. I know they make fun of me there, and I repeatedly do stupid things which I regret… and dad… well, he's perfect, but the point is… you come from a line of screw ups. It's what makes us grow as a person and show the world that we are better than they think."

Yep, one inspirational motivation speech indeed, it was all true of course. Hilda had troubles keeping her jobs, Betty's love life was basically the bane of her existence and Justin's passionate acting, dancing and singing… well, the world just isn't ready for them all, yet.

"I guess, sure, I didn't see it like that." Justin replied somewhat agreeable with the whole speech thing. There had even been a small smile on his face as he sat there with his best friend.

It was a job well done, feeling quite proud of herself, she smiled widely back at him. "See, it's not all that bad that they didn't accept you. I mean, the world just isn't ready for us awesome Suarez's!" she replied happily. She was thankful for climbing up the wall of her house to make sure he was ok. All he needed was a talking to, a little perspective, and a little story. Things were going to be alright, she knew it.

Justin smiled, shaking his head. He could always count on her to make his life seem all so much less dramatic. He was just a simple kid, looking for acceptance, support and love from his family. He could alway count on her. "I wouldn't worry too much about the auditions, give it time and they'll he searching for you!" She was such a romantic, she liked to think that something good would come along for those who wait long enough.

Now all she had to do, was make sure her own life was going to be just as ok. "Come on, I think dinner is ready now, don't wanna keep 'em waiting!" she added happily. Betty had to be pretty pleased with how she handled it, sure it was easy making sure everyone else was ok before looking after her own needs. But, since Henry left and that 'Mr Right' hadn't really turned up. She gave up hope a little - but it never stopped her from showing the strong facade she maintained around her family.

Getting up off his bed, she opened her arms up and Justin almost lept into her embrace before moving off out of his room and into the kitchen. Together, the moved off into the kitchen and sat down at the table, like nothing had ever happened.


End file.
